EIGHTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME

May 27, Thursday

 

SEE WITH EYES OF FAITH

Ben Sirach invites us to see the works of God with eyes of faith and to admire them. In this way, we share a bit in the view of God himself, who knows and sees everything, even what goes on in the deepest of our hearts. Seeing with faith is sharing in the wisdom of God.

Jesus cures a blind man. Not only is his eyesight restored, but he also begins to see with faith who Jesus is. Note that the crowd first try to silence him but his faith is unstoppable and cannot be silenced.

 

First Reading: Sir 42:15-25

I will therefore be mindful of the works of  the  Lord;  I’ll trumpet  the things I’ve seen; you’ll recognize the Lord by his works. The sun lights up and shines down upon all things; it is God’s works that are illumined. And weren’t the prophets appointed to tell his story, even though they failed in capturing the full wonder of the Lord? These witnesses have been given the strength to stand at attention before his glory. He has plumbed the depths of the human heart; he has uncovered its deepest secrets. He  can do this because he knows all there is to know; he’s read all the signs and symbols of the world; he’s kept a record of what has happened and what will happen; he can reveal all the cracks and crevices. No thoughts escape him; no words hide from him.

He has arranged the magnum opus of his wisdom collection—unique before there was unique; unique after there was unique; nothing unique has been added; nothing unique has been taken away. As for a curator, he’s reserved that position for himself. How desirable is his collection! What we see is only a spark, a speck, of the originals! All of these things have a life of their own and will live forever. For every emergency there’s a divine tool in the kit; each one different, not one duplicate. Yet nothing goes wrong; nothing needs a fix; each confirms the good of the other. Who’d tire of visiting a brilliant museum like this?

 

Gospel: Mark 10:46-52

They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”

They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus.

Jesus said, “What can I do for you?”

The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.”

In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.

 

Prayer

Our living God,
you  are very near to us in our joys and pains.
Give us eyes of faith and love to see
the mission you have given us in life
and the grace and courage to carry it out.
Make us also clear-sighted enough to see
the needs of people who cry out their misery
or suffer in silence,
that we may bring them your healing compassion
and lead them to you.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.